Picture hanger



H. R. DENTON PICTURE HANGER Dec. 20, 1960 Filed July 15. 1958 INVENTOR. HARVEY R BENTON A T TORNE rs Unite States This invention relates to a picture hanger and is an improvement over the one disclosed in my United States Letters Patent No. 2,509,424, dated May 30, 1950.

Heretofore one of the principal difficulties with picture hangers of the type herein disclosed has been in replacing a picture against the wall on the portion of the hanger that has been secured to the wall.

Another difliculty has been in providing adjustable hangers that will support pictures in the desired positions and without objectionable strain and wear, and without requiring great accuracy in their manufacture, and a still further objection to prior hangers has been their complexity. These various requirements in prior hangers have resulted in making them relatively expensive.

One of the objects of this invention is the provision of a picture hanger that is simple in structure, economical to make, and the picture can be readily hung against a wall and removed without disturbing the adjustment made therein for supporting the picture in the desired adjusted position. 3 p

Another object of the invention is the provision of a picture hanger that will hold the picture in the desired level position against a wall and tilted relative to the wall so the lower edge of the picture will engage the wall it unobstructed and single actuating means on the hanger is provided for levelling the picture.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a picture hanger including a pair of cooperative elements adapted to be secured to a wall and to the picture, and which elements are readily separated from each other by the simple lifting of the picture to which one of the elements is attached, and which elements are so constructed that the picture can again be readily hung after a separation without necessitating a search for the parts that are to be brought into cooperative hanging relation. The hanger further includes simple means forlevelling the picture and for holding it level.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the description and in the drawings.

In the drawings: 1

Fig. l is a vertically exploded view of the hanger showing the two main parts separated, but in positions for con necting themin picture hanging relation.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the hanger in position supporting a picture against a wall, the latter being indicated incross section.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of the hanger from the wall side with the wall removed, but with one portion of the hanger secured to the rear side of a picture.

In detail, the picture hanger comprises an upper, horizontally elongated member generally designated 1 that is stamped from a piece of sheet metal. Said member 1 includes a horizontally elongated plate 2 formed with a pair of horizontally spaced screw holes for screws 3, or other suitable means, that are adapted to rigidly secure the plate 2 against the rear side of a picture frame 4.

A pair of horizontally spaced fiat, horizontal ears 5, 6 are respectively at the ends of plate 2 and project lateratent Q ice ally: to one and the same side of the plate. These ears preferably extend from the lower edges of plate 2, and ear 5 is disposed at a higher level than ear 6 when plate 2 is horizontal.

Also integral with the plate 2 and positioned between ears 5, 6 is a depending tongue 8, which tongue is connected with the lower edge of plate 2 by a laterally offset portion 9 that projects from plate 2 to the same side thereof as ears 5, 6. The width of the portion 9 may vary, but a distance equal to about one third the horizontal width of each ear of said pair thereof has been found to be satisfactory. The ears are preferably of substantially the same width.

The opposite side edges 10 of tongue 8 are preferably parallel and closely adjacent to the ears 5, 6 at the upper portion of the tongue 8 and for approximately half the vertical dimension of the tongue, and then the lateral edges converge uniformly in a downward direction as at 11 until they meet the ends of the lower horizontal edge 12. The horizontal distance between ears 5, 6 is substantially equal to the horizontal dimension of tongue 8 between edges 10, and this distance may be approximately four times the horizontal dimension of one of the ears 5, 6, while the vertical dimension of tongue 8 may be more than double the horizontal dimension of one of said ears, and the major portion of ear 8 is below the level of the lowest ear 6, while edges 11 commence well below the level of said ear 6.

The upper ear 5 is centrally formed with a threaded opening in which a vertical screw 13 is threadedly supported for vertical movement. Screw 13 is provided with a head 14 at its upper end that may be slotted for the bit of a screw driver.

A second horizontally elongated lower member generally designated 16, is adapted to be rigidly secured in a horizontally extending position against the wall designated 17. p

The member 16 comprises a horizontally elongated inverted channel, one vertical side 18 being adapted to lie flat against the wall 17 and the opposite side 19 of which is in spaced, opposed relation to the side 18. The web or bottom of the channel is formed with a vertically directed opening 20 (Fig. 1) that is preferably the full width of the web, so that the upper edges of the sides 18, 19 define two sides of the opening or slot. 20.

The length of the opening 20 is approximately equal preferably slightly greater to allow a slight clearance between the said edges and the ends of opening 20 when the tongue is in the latter, as will later be explained more in detail.

Portions 21, 22 of the web (Fig. 1) of the channel forming the member 16 are horizontal, and connect the sides 18, 19 at their ends. These portions 21, 22 are substantially rectangular and of approximately the same size as the ears 5, 6, and the distance between portions 21, 22 is equal to the distance between ears 5, 6. Integral with each portion 21, 22 at their adjacent edges, and at the ends of opening 20, are brace webs 24. These brace webs 24 substantially engage the opposed surfaces of sides 18, 19 and prevent any likelihood of the portions 21, 22 bending downwardly upon a weight being carried by the portions 21, 22. As will later appear, the weight of the picture 4 will be carried on the portions 21, 22 and therefore it is essential that said portions resist bending along their junctures with side 18. The side 19 is of less width, vertically, than side 18, and the ends of the lower edges of brace webs 24 respectively terminate at the lower edges of sides 18, 19, therefore they extend slantingl'y downwardly from the lower edges of side 19.

The ends of the side 18 are formed with openings 27 Patented Dec. 20, 1960 that are equally spaced below the upper edge of the side 18, and holes 28 (Fig. 1) areformed at the junctures between side 19 and the portions 21, 22. Thus a pair of holes 27,28 are ateach end of the lower member-1,6 and as' eachpair of holes is in thesame vertical plane that is at right angles tothe length of member 16, nails 29 (Fig. 2) will extend slantingly, downwardly through, holes 28, 27 (Fig. 2') and will enter the'wall 17 ,at a downwardly inclined angle therebyholding the side 19 against the wall and cooperating with lower member for olfering maximum resistance to member 16 pulling away from the wall upon a downward and forward strain being placed on portions 21, 22 and on side 18 by picture, 4. The heads of nails 29 will not pass through the holes 28 and will bej against member 16 at said holes.

In operation, the lower hanger member 16 is secured rigidly against wall 17 in the desired position and as nearly horizontal as a person can estimate. It is not necessary that it be absolutely horizontal; In this position the portions 21, 22 of member 16 will project away from the wall 17;

The member 2 is secured rigidly against the rear of the picture 1 at the upper portion thereof and approximately midway between the side edges of the frame.

The person hanging the picture then positions the latter so that the lower end of tongue 8 will enter the opening 20, which is very easy to do for the reason that the width of opening is many times greater than the thickness of tongue 8, and the horizontal length of lower end of tongue 8 is preferably approximately between one-half and one-third the length of the opening 20.

At the time the upper member is positioned against the wallthe lower end of screw 13 may be at substantially the same level as the lower side of ear 6, therefore, if the member 16 is exactly horizontal, and if the plate 2 of member 1 is exactly parallel with the upper horizontal side of the picture frame, the picture wouldhang level. However, this is rarely the case. By turning screw 13 in one direction or the other the angular relation between the members 1, 16 may be adjusted until the picture hangs exactly level. Fig. 3 indicate a slight adjustment of member 1 rela tive to member 2. This adjustment maybe made whenthe picture is supported on member 16, but in view of the ease with which the picture may be-removed from the member 16 and replaced, there is no hardship in removing the picture and making the necessary adjustment, and then replacing it.

The fact that ear 6 is at a lower level than that of ear 5 enables the upper member 1 to be supported on the member 16 at any angle above or below a position in which they are parallel.

It is also pertinent to note that no portion of the hangers can be seen from the front as long as the .upper edgeof plate 2 does not project above the upperredge of the picture frame. Thus the plate 2 may be. secured to the frame at the upper edge spaced below theupper edge, and the screw 13, which extends to the highest point on member 16, cannot be seen.

When the picture is supported by member 16,. the tongue 8 may move toward or to the upper edge of the side 18 (Fig. 2) and the screw 13 and ear 6 will remain on portions 21, 22. This freedom of movement of the tongue 8 across opening 20 enables the picture 4 to The dot-dash lines inengage the wall 17 at its lower end and to tilt in the normal manner without placing any objectionable strain on the hanger.

It is to be understood that the proportions and dimensions as herein given are not to be considered as being limitations on the invention. It is also to be understood that the claim hereinafter set out is intended to cover such different modifications as may come within the scope thereof.

The use of the word picture is intended to include the frame, or not, according to the character of the picture, and it obviously would include mirrors or other articles to be hung against a wall in a particular position relative to vertical or to horizontal.

Where desired, the lower member, in particular, may be secured to the picture or other article by any other suitable means than by the screws, and the upper member need not-necessarily be secured to the wall by nails, although when the latter are used, the structureshown is advantageous and preferable. Any of the highly adherent adhesives used in the industry may be employed, if desired, in place of the nails or screws.

from time to time, which also makes the use of nails more desirable'for this member, while the upper member on the picture will usually be permanent.

I claim:

A picture hanger comprising; a generally vertically disposed, horizontally elongated upper plate having a pair of horizontally spaced ears struck therefrom and projecting to one side thereof, said plate including a tongue positioned between saidears and depending therefrom, one ear of said pair being at a level higher than:

the other ear when said tongue is vertical and when said plate is horizontal, a vertically extending screw threadedly carried by said one ear only and projecting therebelow for vertical movement of said screw upon rotating it in one direction or the other, means for securing said plate to the rear of a'picture with said ears projecting away from the latter and said tongue being.

otfset in direction away from such picture when said plate is against the back of the latter, a horizontally elongated lower member having wall engaging means thereon adapted to be fastened against a wall, said lower member including a pair of horizontally aligned supports projecting laterally therefrom at its ends, the lower end of said screw being supported on one of said supports, and said other ear being directly supported on the References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Denton May 30, 1950 Barry Apr. 21, 1953 Ordinarily the locationof the lower member may be changed 

